Adapted from the novel of the same name, Hamnet is a fictional account of the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, which is tested by the loss of their eleven-year-old son. William (Paul Mescal), a Latin tutor, falls in love with Agnes (Jessie Buckley), who possesses the gift of precognition and a strong bond with nature. The couple settles in Stratford, where they eventually become a loving family of five with their three children. Agnes believes William is bound for glory, however. She encourages him to go to London and establish a career in theatre there. Unfortunately, the plague sweeping across the country takes their precious son Hamnet from them. Struck by immeasurable grief, they struggle to adapt, a piece of themselves now forever missing. William ultimately finds inspiration in his personal tragedy and writes his masterpiece, Hamlet.

Chloé Zhao (born 1982, Beijing) grew up in China before moving to England and then the United States during her teenage years. She studied in the Graduate Film Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she began to make short films. Her first two feature films—Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015) and The Rider (2017)—are stories about Native Americans that were warmly received at film festivals. In 2021, she was awarded Best Director at the Academy Awards for her film Nomadland (2020). She then directed Marvel Studios’ Eternals (2021).